Rose is obsessed with homonyms, so words and vocab plays a large part of this novel. Rose is often alone with her dog Rain while her father is away, mostly at bars. Rose is on the autism spectrum so her way to interpreting events is different, making her vulnerable when a big storm comes and Rain runs away. This is a character that you just want to hug, and Martin creates a book that is timeless.

This was such an emotional read. I don’t care that what I read could be seen as emotionally manipulative. Sometimes humans must be manipulated into feeling something because they are so set on what another human should be. Folks can’t imagine what it’s like to be in the minds of others and what it takes to accept and truly love another individual that doesn’t fit in the box you’ve created.


I originally received this e-book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. The copy read and review is based on was checked out of my local library.

My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

Let me just start off by saying that I am in the middle of a book slump and due to the world climate right now, I cannot handle overly negative characters in what I am reading right now.

That being said, the father character in this book has no redeeming qualities and he is the reason why I DNF'd this book at 43%. I loved Rose and Rain, but I HATED how pretty much everyone in the book other than her uncle, treated Rain. She had special needs and not a lot of the other characters tried to meet her where she was or to understand and work with her. Especially her father.

Her father had been abused by his dad, mom wasn't in the picture, he and his younger brother ended up in foster care, but they were kept together. The father character got married and the wife left when Rose was two. Father is an alcoholic and mentally and emotionally cruel to his daughter who has special needs. He also is too proud to accept help with her from anyone and won't get her to a school that can work with her issues and help her, because it is 20 miles away.

I'm sorry, other people in real life and his younger brother in the book, have been through the same or worse childhoods and they aren't flaming a-holes. So he has no excuse.

I just can't take his character right now.

Which shows you how well the book is written and how the characters are portrayed excellently, but his behavior is just so hurtful and hateful to me right now, I can't finish the book. I may come back in the future when things seem a bit more positive in the world and I can handle that character's negativity, but until then, I just can't.

Well written book, with the MC having Aspergers, so representation as well. The author has writing chops and is one of my favorites from my youth, but in this instance the writing is just too good, if that makes any sense.

Definitely recommended. 3, I just can't take that one character, stars.

This may be one of the first books that successfully has a high-functioning autistic child as the protagonist. Even 6 years later, this book remains a good choice for reading about kids different from others in the classroom. Rose's search for her dog is something with which all children can identify.

LOVED this book! The characters are spot on. The story tugs at the heart strings. A nearly perfect book.